Cookin' up fun

Not your conventional chili ingredients. But whether you like it hot or sweet, traditional or "New Age," the Delray Beach GreenMarket's 11th Annual Chili Cook-off Saturday had something for every taste bud.

More than a dozen competitors, clad in hot pepper necklaces, straw hats and chef's jackets participated in this year's cook-off. They presented visitors with a variety of chili flavors and styles as diverse as their backgrounds and personalities.

"People really look forward to this," said market director Lori Nolan, who's been organizing the cook-off since its founder, former Community Redevelopment Agency director Chris Brown, handed off management of the market eight years ago. "It's all about the community, and the market is a very social place on Saturday morning."

Competitors agree to make at least five gallons of chili to give away at the market. They also decorated and named their chilis for fun. There was Kimberly's Pet Grooming's Chili Dog Chili, Fussie's Chili and Manhattan Clam Chili, to name a few.

"They win trophies and bragging rights for a year," Nolan said. "And once people enter, they want to do it again."